


feels like a tidal wave (hope no one was hurt)

by capricornia



Category: The Chronicles of Chrestomanci - Diana Wynne Jones
Genre: Canon Autistic Character, Gen, Millie is a good mum, Synesthesia, sensory processing disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 04:06:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10563363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capricornia/pseuds/capricornia
Summary: So far the two of them have collected some smooth rocks, several keyrings, a plastic beaded necklace Janet says is from 12B, and elastics, also from 12B. The collection is in a secret drawer in his bedroom. When Michael or Chrestomanci sets him homework, he usually does it with at least one elastic on each hand."They make my hands feel more real," he tries to explain to Janet, but she shakes her head.But Millie understands.





	

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from "Homecoming" by Peter Garrett.

Millie's hugs feel like protection. They squeeze Cat's arms to his sides, and he feels his body  _give_. Millie hugs Cat hard.

Everyone else complains about Millie's hugs, though Julia and Roger secretly like them because Millie's their mum, but Cat seeks them out. It's like being given sweets for the first time--you just can't get enough of them. Cat's mum never hugged him tightly, nor had his dad, and Gwendolyn, he knew, tried to touch him as little as she could. He had always craved the pressure--he used to tie the string Mrs. Sharp used for packages around himself--but never knew someone else could help with it.

Cat thinks Millie knows that he likes her tight hugs. He thinks she does it on purpose.

He hasn't told anybody about it except Janet, who has made it her mission to find things for him that she knows he'll like. So far the two of them have collected some smooth rocks, several keyrings, a plastic beaded necklace Janet says is from 12B, and elastics, also from 12B. The collection is in a secret drawer in his bedroom. When he's not with Janet, Roger and Julia, he's upstairs in his room with one or more things from his collection. When Michael or Chrestomanci sets him homework, he usually does it with at least one elastic on each hand.

"They make my hands feel more real," he tries to explain to Janet, but she shakes her head. She doesn't understand, though she tries to help.

But Millie understands.

Three weeks after Marianne joins the group, Millie asks Cat if he likes silk. He doesn't know what silk feels like, he tells her, and she says it's what Chrestomanci's dressing gowns are made of. He makes a face. He does not like silk. It's too slimy, he tells Millie. It feels too light in the wrong places. It's got a greenish-light brown touch on his skin. He forgets, for a moment, that of course she'll have no idea what he's talking about, because no one ever does. He's learned to keep that quiet, just like he learned to write with his right hand. But Millie exclaims, loudly, then softly, that she's sorry.

"I've tried to modify all your clothes so you like the way they feel," she says, "with carefully-constructed spells, but you know sometimes people react to spells in clothing, and I wanted to ask you before I ordered you some silk pajamas from the catalogue. Oh, dear. Well, at least Chrestomanci's lost that bet," she says.

"What bet?" Cat can't imagine Chrestomanci making a bet with anyone, much less losing it.

"Oh," Millie laughs, "Conrad--that's mine and Chrestomanci's friend from Series Seven, whom you haven't yet met--he and I made a bet with Chrestomanci that not everyone likes silk. You see, he was insisting that silk is the only comfortable fabric. He likes those dressing gowns, you see--well, I probably shouldn't say this, but it's  _you_ , Cat--he likes those dressing gowns because they're loose-fitting in the right places."

Cat can't imagine  _liking_ anything being loose. There are no right places for clothing to flap about and hit his skin at random, inopportune times.

"Did you know he didn't want to be the Chrestomanci at first?" Millie smiles fondly. "Now he likes it, because he can wear what he wants and no one says a word. I used to think it was stupid and he was pompous, but he's explained it to me in time. Sometimes he just needs space, and sometimes he needs to be tightly-wrapped in evening dress.  _You_ know, Cat. He usually only wears dressing gowns in the morning, but you _have_ seen him at dinner in them sometimes; I've seen you looking. Everyone either respects the Chrestomanci too much or they know how he's particular about clothing. Anyway, he likes silk, but now here you are, and you don't, so now he owes me and Conrad."

This is a lot to take in.

"Is... does..." Cat tries again. "Do you have colors, too?"

Millie's smile could rival the sun, Cat thinks.

 

* * *

 

By the time Tonino and Angelica come to join them, Cat's got a nice collection in his room of tight-fitting clothing and bands for his hands and feet that he and Millie made together. He has a sharp comb and little pans of raw rice. He has a necklace and pendant from Millie, fitted suit jackets from Chrestomanci, and ridged cufflinks from Conrad. 

**Author's Note:**

> 1) All sensory discussion in this is based on my own experiences with sensory processing disorder and in no way reflects the experiences of all people with spd. It is not my intention to stereotype anyone with spd or autism. 
> 
> 2) Diana Wynne Jones actually did confirm that Cat is autistic in an interview, so that's what I'm basing the "canon autistic character" tag on.


End file.
